不知道你有没有经常看中文社交媒体？这期newsletter里我想和你分享三个最近比较常见的中文网络流行语，他们在某种程度上也反映了中国年轻人的精神状态。
内卷 Nèi juǎn
内卷的原意是指一种社会、经济现象，即在没有外部扩展空间或资源增加的情况下，内部竞争变得越来越激烈，导致个人或集体投入更多的时间和精力，但回报并没有显著增加。
在现代中国社会中，内卷常常用来形容职场、教育等领域中过度竞争的现象。比如，学生为了考好成绩不断增加学习时间，或者职场中员工为了升职拼命加班，但最终并没有得到更多的回报，反而陷入了一种低效的恶性循环。
例句：为了不被淘汰，大家拼命加班，结果整个公司陷入了内卷的怪圈。
祛魅 Qū mèi
祛魅这个词源自德国社会学家马克斯·韦伯（Max Weber）的“祛魅社会”理论。祛魅指的是随着科学、理性和现代化的发展，传统的神秘主义和迷信色彩逐渐被去除，事物变得更加理性和现实。
在日常生活中，祛魅常常用来描述某些事物或人不再具有神秘性或理想化的色彩，而是被还原为平凡和理性的状态。例如，人们曾经对某些明星或成功人士抱有理想化的幻想，但随着更多信息的披露，他们变得更加“普通”或“现实”，这种过程就被称为祛魅。
例句：小时候我觉得当明星很神秘，长大后才发现娱乐圈早已祛魅了，和普通工作没什么不同。
牛马 Niú mǎ
牛马这个词原本指的是牲畜，但在网络语境下，它通常用来比喻那些像“牛马”一样辛苦工作或生活的人。尤其是在讨论职场时，牛马通常指那些长期加班、收入低，且没有太多话语权的员工，形容他们像牛马一样劳累，却得不到应有的回报和尊重。这个词有时带有一定的自嘲意味。
例句：他们每天工作十几个小时，像牛马一样辛苦，却没有得到应有的回报。
I’m not sure if you often browse Chinese social media, but in this issue of the newsletter, I want to share three popular online buzzwords that have been quite common recently. To some extent, they also reflect the mental state of young people in China.
Involution Nèi juǎn
The original meaning of “involution” refers to a socio-economic phenomenon where, in the absence of external expansion or increased resources, internal competition becomes increasingly intense. This results in individuals or groups putting in more time and effort, but without a corresponding increase in rewards.
In modern Chinese society, “involution” is often used to describe excessive competition in fields like the workplace or education. For example, students spend more time studying to get better grades, or employees work overtime to get promotions, but in the end, they don’t see much return, falling into a vicious cycle of inefficiency.
Example sentence: To avoid being left behind, everyone worked overtime, and as a result, the whole company fell into the involution trap.
Disenchantment Qū mèi
The term “disenchantment” comes from the theory of “disenchantment of the world” by German sociologist Max Weber. It refers to the process in which, with the development of science, rationality, and modernization, the mystical and superstitious aspects of things are gradually stripped away, making them more rational and realistic.
In everyday life, “disenchantment” is often used to describe when certain people or things lose their mystique or idealized qualities, and are reduced to something ordinary and rational. For example, people once had idealized fantasies about certain celebrities or successful figures, but as more information about them becomes known, they seem more “ordinary” or “real,” which is referred to as disenchantment.
Example sentence: When I was young, I thought being a celebrity was mysterious, but as I grew up, I realized the entertainment industry had long been disenchanted, and it’s not much different from regular jobs.
Cattle and Horses Niú mǎ
The term “cattle and horses” originally referred to livestock, but in online contexts, it’s often used to describe people who work or live as hard as “cattle and horses.” Especially in workplace discussions, “cattle and horses” refers to employees who work long hours, earn low wages, and have little say in decision-making. It describes them as toiling away like beasts of burden, yet not receiving the rewards or respect they deserve. Sometimes, this term is used with a sense of self-mockery.
Example sentence: They work for over ten hours a day, laboring like cattle and horses, but still don’t get the rewards they deserve.
Is there any word that you are interested in but don’t know what it means? Let me know and I can help you 🙂
This is the content from our newsletter on Oct 19, 2024. Want to stay tuned for more Chinese learning tips? Subscribe to the newsletter!
